Pages

Saturday, 21 April 2012

Group C Cars line up for Donington Historic Festival.

Group C cars are sure to impress visitors to the Donington Historic Festival

Thunder
is predicted for Donington Park for the weekend of May 5th
and 6th
in the form of the almighty noise produced as more than 20 Group C
racing cars – with a combined 16,000 brake horsepower – compete
at the Donington Historic Festival.

Just
as 1980s fashion was all about big hair and big shoulder pads, so the
sports-racing cars of that era were on an equally lavish scale, as
manufacturers including Jaguar, Porsche, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz,
Nissan and Aston Martin vied to outdo each other in the power, speed
and style stakes.

Spectators
hoping for chest-reverberating sound and over-the-top paintwork
certainly won’t be disappointed. The big beasts were a real
crowd-pleaser at the 2011 Festival, and with the addition of some
head-turning newcomers to the grid, the Group C race looks set to get
the cameras clicking and the enthusiasts’ forums buzzing once more.

Paul
Stubber is travelling from Australia with his Chevrolet-engined
Veskanda. One of only two examples built, this is the rarest car on
the grid, and was campaigned in the 1985-87 Australian Sportscar
series by John Bowe. Other newcomers include Adrian Watt in his
Argo JM19 and Trevor Knight who will be driving the Damax Spice
SE88.

Henrik Lindberg's Porsche 962

The
most eye-catching livery is likely to be that of Henrik Lindberg’s
green and white Tic Tac Porsche 962, and the iconic colour schemes of
the Martini Lancia LC2 and Richard Eyre’s Jaguar XJR16 will strike
a chord with many racing fans.

In
the 1980s, Group C was a real focus for manufacturers, as it allowed
them to demonstrate their engineering and motorsport capabilities,
and works teams abounded, with Porsche often dominating. However,
independent teams were also an essential element – until
overwhelmed by manufacturer spending power – and the Group C grid
at the Donington Historic Festival reflects that mix.

So,
in the C1 class, Eric Rickenbacher in his Cheetah and Paul Stubber in
the Veskanda will take on the Tic Tac Porsche and Jaguar, the Nissans
of Steve Tandy and Kent Abrahamsson, Gareth Evans in the Silver
Arrows Mercedes C11, Paul Whight in Aston Martin AMR1, and up to
three Lancias. And, marking the 30th
anniversary of the Porsche 956 (the model that won Le Mans in 1982 in
the hands of Derek Bell and Jacky Ickx), Russell Kempnich is flying
in from Australia, with his own 956.

The
C2 class is for slightly less powerful – but no less exciting –
Group C cars. The line-up here includes Don Miles in a Jaguar XJR 5B,
Adrian Watt in the Argo JM19, Jonathan Fay in a Tiga GT2, and a trio
of Spices: former Porsche racer Tommy Dreelan's Listerine SE86, Peter
Meyrick’s Cosworth DFV-powered, 2011 C2-winning Se89, and – from
the USA - Mike Donovan in an SE88.

The
Group C cars will be out on the track for qualifying from 12.40-13.20
on Saturday, May 5th
and racing from 15.45-16.45 on Sunday, May 6th,
so even if you can only make one day of the Donington Historic
Festival, you’ll still be able to enjoy the Group C spectacle.

Day
tickets cost £18 in advance (£25 on the gate) and weekend tickets
£30 in advance (£40 on the gate). Children aged 15 and under are
admitted free. For more information, and to book tickets visit
www.doningtonhistoric.com
or call the 24-hour ticket hotline on 0844 873 7355.
Advance ticket sales
close on April 27th.